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Meeting with a Lawyer
(provided by The Rosen Law Firm)
1) Should I be represented by a lawyer?
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Since property settlements can be very complicated, a lawyer can help you
decide which of your belongings are marital property and which are
separate property, and advise you as to how the court will divide that
property. A lawyer will also be able to assist you in drafting a separation
agreement in order to document your arrangements with your spouse. A
lawyer might also be able to help you plan matters where timing is
important. For example, you might not know that you must be married for
at least ten years in order to qualify for social security spousal benefits, or
that if you wait until you are 55 to sell the marital residence, you get a tax
break. A lawyer can also advise you if an unexpected problem comes up,
for instance, if your spouse files for bankruptcy before you receive money
due to you in a property settlement. A lawyer may be able to help you
notify your spouse about the divorce if you are unable to do so.
Additionally, a lawyer can advise you on how much money, if any, you
should pay or receive for alimony or child support.
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It will be helpful for you to gather certain documents in preparation for
your first meeting with your attorney. Locate and copy your important
documents, including:
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1. Financial statements,
2. Income tax returns,
3. Corporate tax returns,
4. Partnership tax returns,
5. Bank statements (business and personal),
6. Check registers,
7. Canceled checks,
8. Brokerage statements, and
9. Children's bank account statements.
The Rosen Law Firm located at
http://www.rosen.com/
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